The remains of the dhal

Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Helena Bonham Carter and Vanessa Redgrave have all been persuaded to star in Ismail Merchant's films after he's cooked them dinner. He tells Chloe Diski how he seduces his actors with food

Producers hustle. Good ones should be able to judge the correct quantity of charm and determination needed to wring a million from a scrooge. The success of Merchant Ivory productions - think A Room With A View , Howard's End, The Remains of the Day - suggests that the producer Ismail Merchant could persuade a salmon to swim downstream. He can easily charm and disarm a roomful of potential investors, actors and actresses, but he also holds a final and distinctive trump card: Ismail is a wizard in the kitchen.

Ever since he started Merchant Ivory with director James Ivory 40 years ago, Ismail has dazzled potential colleagues with his culinary productions. Apparently, his dinners have persuaded many stars to sign on the dotted line including Vanessa Redgrave, Paul Newman, Helena Bonham Carter and Lauren Bacall. Simon Callow recalls how he was coaxed into a role after eating one of Ismail's curried croissants. Ismail is a self-taught cook and every dish served at his table are his own creations, most of which are recorded in the five cookbooks he has written since 1986.

Tonight is typical. It's Friday evening and Ismail has spent the day rushing from meeting to meeting. While most of us would contemplate the pub or a quiet night in front of the television, Merchant chooses to cook for 10 people. So at 6pm he whips to M&S - accompanied by Sven, his very own version of Stevens, the butler from The Remains of the Day - and comes home with two bags full of what will shortly become our dinner. For Ismail entertaining and cooking is a pleasure, as long as the process is quick. 'I dislike taking a long time over cooking,' he says while unpacking the shopping. 'I'm a busy man, and I find that simple dishes that don't take long to prepare can taste just as good.' This evening's menu will be an eclectic buffet of basmati rice, curried mustard chicken, pasta with tomato sauce, his famous lemon dhal, and Lebanese desserts (ready-made from Selfridges).

Ismail's flat in London's Portman Square is comfortable and hasn't a trace of Hollywood glitz. Rather like the look of a Merchant Ivory production, it has an out-of-time quality. Ismail spends his year divided between his four homes in New York, London, Bombay and Paris. Here, his combined lounge and dining room (it is a modest flat, he lives alone) is fur nished with collected vases, teapots, Raj furniture, Indian art, a magnificent goblet made of dried roses (the golden bowl from the film of the same name). On a chest are four Baftas, which sit comfortably next to a silver basket holding a stapler, elastic band, and an old glasses case.

Merchant made those awards possible by possessing a rock-like confidence. If he believes in a project, he knows he will be able to make it happen and this faith was applied when he taught himself to cook. 'I was brought up in Bombay but at 22 I moved to New York to do a business degree. A man cooking at home was a big taboo in India. I wasn't that interested when I was child but in New York I latched on to cooking as a skill which could enhance my career.' It was in New York that Ismail met his good friend actress Madhur Jaffrey before she became better known as a celebrity chef. She helped him with a few basics and his first meal was prepared for Madhur and her husband.

While steaming pots of dhal and tomato sauce bubble, Ismail is calm. Stirring the sauce he recalls, 'When I was making A Room With A View I told the Italian crew that I could make Italian food that rivalled their own. Of course they didn't believe me so I cooked for them the next day. They were all blown away by my sauce. It uses whole peppercorns, chilli and spices. After that I made pasta for the crew every week.'

The guests arrive at eight o'clock. He has invited a mixture of people he knows very well and others whom he will meet for the first time tonight. Newcomers are the US cultural attaché Dennis Wolf and his wife Tina, who swears by Ismail's recipe books. Writer and Asian arts promoter Nasreen Rehman, actresses Polly Walker and Susannah Harker, actor Andrew Howard, producer Adam Coleman Howard, and the star of the musical Bombay Dreams, Ayesha Darker, with her boyfriend Chris Dwyer, who works for CNN. Ismail is a relaxed and warm host. He pops in to talk to his guests, takes 'urgent calls', and is comfortable retreating to the kitchen while his party get to know each other.

His kitchen is small, and functional. It was completed recently but unfortunately, not in time for a dinner date at his home with Uma Thurman. 'The oven wasn't fitted yet, so we went to a restaurant in the end,' he laughs, 'Uma agreed to be in The Golden Bowl. I cooked for her at a later date.'

The dinner that Ismail produces is picture perfect. The chicken is sizzling. The recipe uses French mustard; Ismail has no qualms about ruining the cultural integrity of a dish if an alien ingredient might improve it. His legendary dhal is a yolk yellow with the unusual additions, tomatoes and lemons, left in the bowl. There is a shimmering tower of perfectly separated basmati rice and, beside it, the pasta is glowing a golden red in the light. By now the guests have started to hover around the buffet and Ismail, who is showing discreet signs of kitchen-fatigue, encourages all to dig in. They do, and only pause between mouthfuls to express their pleasure. Then come back for more. And then more. The room, which was full of voices before dinner, is more silent now and, at this moment, the guests are under his spell. Ismail, who has finally finished his business for the day, settles down to eat.

Heat cup of the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the sliced onions and cook, stirring, until they soften. Add the cinnamon, lentils, and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the stock, 4 cups of hot water, salt, and red pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice and squeezed shell. Cook for 50 minutes, stirring often. Heat the remaining cup of oil in a small pan. Add the chopped onion, garlic, chilli, and bay leaves. Cook until the onion is browned. Add this mixture to the lentils. Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander. Serve hot.

- Merchant Ivory's latest film, Le Divorce, is currently on general release.